Marcela Vaculik

Marcela Vaculik, age 76, of West, passed away Monday afternoon, February 19, 2024 at her residence.

A Memorial Service will be held 4:00 p.m. Monday, February 26, 2024 at Aderhold Funeral Home Chapel in West, with Dr. Grant Kaul officiating. The family will receive visitors at 3:00 p.m. until the time of service on Monday at the funeral home.  For livestream of service, click here .

Marcela was born September 4, 1947 in Chomutov, Czech Republic the daughter of Josef and Marie (Rojikova) Thal. She was the oldest of five children.  She graduated from Chomutov High School and from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia from the School of Pharmacy and worked at a pharmacy before coming to the United States. Marcela came to the United States arriving in Texas on December 21, 1980 through the help of the American fund for Czech refugees and spent time in a refugee camp in Austria. On March 20, 1981 she was united in marriage to Jan Vaculik at the Evangelical Free Church in West. Marcela was a member of Fellowship Bible Church of Waco and also attended the First Baptist Church in West. She was a member of SPJST Lodge #54, Director of McLennan/Hill County Czech Heritage Society, Charter member of West Sokol, and the History of West Museum. Marcela was a school bus driver for the West Independent School District and worked for West Community Hospital and Village Bakery.

She came to West knowing no English and we appreciate all of her friends that took her under their wings. Marcela will be truly missed. Marcela enjoyed baking Czech pastries, making homemade noodles and sauerkraut, crocheting, quilting, crafting, traveling to the Czech Republic, volunteering for Westfest, translating Czech to English, spending time with special needs children, and volunteering in the Fellowship Bible Church Nursery. She was an excellent seamstress. She loved spending time with her family and especially baking cookies with her honorary grandchildren.

Marcela is preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Bohuslav Thal; brother-in-law, Josef Marek; and her parents-in-law, Karol and Ludmila "Lidka" Vaculik.

Survivors include her beloved husband of 43 years, Jan Vaculik of West; her children, Jana Riley and husband John, and Jon Bohuslav Vaculik, all of West; siblings, Jan Thal and wife Debora, Marie Markova, and Josef Thal and wife Jindra; sister-in-law, Jana Thalova; brother-in-law, Karol Vaculik and wife Kveta; honorary grandchildren, Jaydain and Faye; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to History of West Museum, McLennan-Hill Chapter Czech Heritage Society, or to Aderhold Funeral Home to help the family with funeral expenses.